A conference in Jerusalem next month proposing a plan (“Plan”) involving the dethronement of Jordan’s King Abdullah threatens any attempt by Jordan and Israel to peacefully apportion – between their respective States – sovereignty in Judea and Samaria – called the West Bank since 1950 – and Gaza (“Disputed Territories”)…writes David Singer.

The Plan’s stated goal is to enable Israel to annex Judea and Samaria (West Bank).

The Disputed Territories comprise the last remaining 5% of the territory encompassed by the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine – where sovereignty still remains undetermined between Jews and Arabs. Sovereignty in the remaining 95% now resides in Israel (17%) and Jordan (78%).

Negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (“PLO”) to create a 23rd independent Arab State in the Disputed Territories were fruitlessly pursued for 21 years – before being suspended in April 2014 with little likelihood of being resumed.

The conference organisers are totally upfront and make no bones as to how the Plan is to be achieved:

“The beauty of the plan is that it doesn’t require the consent of the PA (Palestinian Authority) or of Jordan. It just requires the embrace of President Trump. He must engineer a way to remove the king from power and to install Zahran and his coalition as the interim government.”

The PA ceased to exist on 3 January 2013 so reference to it is irrelevant.

Zahran – Secretary-General of the self-declared Jordanian Opposition Coalition – has formulated the Plan as follows:

“This plan seeks to execute a feasible two-state solution where Jordan is the natural homeland for all Palestinians, and Israel becomes sovereign over all soil west to the River Jordan. This could only happen if the corrupt, terror-supporting and double-speaking Hashemite royal family leaves Jordan. The Palestinians often revolt against the regime but the king’s police force puts them down. The American media ignore this solution to the unrest in Jordan.

“What is needed is for the U.S. to influence the Jordanian army and security agency to stand with the revolution the next time it breaks out. The security agencies and army are already securing the country without any influence from the king who is mostly abroad. Under these conditions, the king would not return. Once that happens an interim government of secular Palestinians who want peace with Israel could be appointed.”

Dethroning King Abdullah to end Hashemite-rule in Jordan for the last 95 years will only exacerbate the 100-years old conflict between Jews and Arabs.

The Plan also calls for the transfer of one million Arabs living in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to Jordan:

“Zahran intends to build a new city in Jordan to accommodate a million new residents. This will create jobs and stimulate the economy. These homes will be purchased on behalf of any Arabs willing to emigrate and given to them on arrival.”

President Trump will certainly not be embracing this belligerent and catastrophic Plan.

Wiser counsel should remind Trump that one of his predecessors – Ronald Reagan – said in 1980:

“Israel and Jordan are the two Palestinian states envisioned and authorised by the United Nations. Jordan is now recognised in some 80% of the old territory of Palestine. Israel and Jordan are the parties primarily authorized to settle the future of the unallocated territories in accordance with the principles of the mandate and the provisions of Resolutions 242 and 338.”

Ignoring this Reagan Declaration has prolonged a conflict that could have ended 37 years ago.

President Trump needs to convince King Abdullah to begin direct negotiations with Israel. Failure to do so ensures an even bleaker future for the Middle East than currently exists.

David Singer is a Sydney Lawyer and Foundation Member of the International Analysts Network

Comments

“The PA ceased to exist on 3 January 2013 so reference to it is irrelevant.” – David Singer please explain.
Also would be good to hear why the author David Singer has no quibbles with a country run by a handful of privileged royals who are not representative of the population of Jordan that is 70% Palestinian. Why isn’t Jordan Palestine?
We should be talking about all the possibilities. Jordan has got off scot-free for too long and could be involved in discussions focussing on the confederation model to help solve the I/P conflict. Jordan has a responsibility.

2. Jordan is indeed 78% of former Palestine. It has been ruled by the Hashemite dynasty since 1922. Democracy in the Middle East is hard to find unless you focus on Israel.

3. I agree that Jordan has got off scot-free for too long. It now needs to step up to the plate and negotiate with Israel to allocate sovereignty in Judea and Samaria between Israel and Jordan – the two successor States to the Mandate for Palestine. Allowing Jordan to sit on the sidelines has only prolonged the conflict as President Ronald Reagan understood way back in 1982.

I am very pleased that the correct LABEL for the geographical of Judea & Samaria was used!
It is important, I think, that at least WE ought to use its proper name.

Had to read this article a few times to try & understand it. As well as a good opportunity in catching up with history.

All I can say is Good Luck with the Plan!
It is definitely a “Long Shot”; not sure how Trump would influence Jordan & FUND what was proposed.
But certainly it’s a Plan which makes better sense than the failed “Oslo plan” and the disasterous “Two State Solution”.

Moreover, any handing over of Liberated Land, in my mind, is totally rediculous and Risk to Life !!

So in summary; if the Arabs currently living in Judea & Samaria (“Palestinians” living in the “Westbank”) can be convinced, enticed in a Peaceful way to Relocate to The EAST BANK (“Jordan”); I for one, am very supportive of that.

Here are a Few of my favorite phrases for your (“our”) consideration:
Let’s turn the the World upside down or “Right way Up”:

1. Yes we agree that we ARE the “Occupiers” of the Land of Israel and are Entitled to Occupy our HOME; everyone else are our Welcomed &/or unwelcome Guests (in addition; they attacked “We Won & they Lost”;
2. All things being “equal” We ought to begin to call Jordan simply as “The EAST Bank”
3. The Most recent Chant also sound OK: “…From the Ocean to the Sea Israel Must be Free” from terror, from Hate & from Radical Islam. Perhaps from the Euphrates (or even Tigris?) River…

1. The Plan is definitely a “Long Shot”.
Spare the horse and scratch it from the race. Why even attempt the Plan if it is going to inflict untold human suffering on both Arabs and Jews in its implementation?

2. “Moreover, any handing over of Liberated Land, in my mind, is totally rediculous and Risk to Life !!”

Successive Israeli Governments since 2000 have been prepared to hand over up to 95% of the Liberated Land to the PLO but such offers have been rejected.

Israel is still prepared to resume negotiations with the PLO to do a deal on dividing the Liberated Land but the PLO have refused to negotiate since April 2014. Resumption of those stalled negotiations is extremely unlikely to happen and even if it did – those negotiations would go nowhere as have those that have preceded them between 1993 and 2014.

Negotiations between Israel and Jordan to divide that Liberated Land could probably take no longer than three months.

Israeli and Jordanian negotiators armed with pencils and erasers could carve up Judea and Samaria – a piece of land one twelfth the size of Tasmania – with very little difficulty.

Ho hum, still at it. The Jordan/Israel plan to settle the Samaria/Judea question is not only dead, it has mouldered and decayed.

The Plan is an excellent idea; it is not only feasible, but conforms to the Arab/mohammedan idea of power challenging. By appealing to Trump to accept him as the new ruler of Jordan, Zahran is adding the sweetener of solving Israel’s demographic and democratic problems. It well accords with Dr Martin Sherman’s solution which is realistic, even if it is a bit harsh.

Even more to the point is that the “West Bank” is Israeli ever since the Brits created Trans-Jordan establishing the Jordan River as the international border. Prof Kontorovich makes that point and dismissing realities because some Arabs make a baseless claim does not invalidate that fact.

Speak Your Mind

Comments received without a full name will not be consideredEmail addresses are NEVER published! All comments are moderated. J-Wire will publish considered comments by people who provide a real name and email address. Comments that are abusive, rude, defamatory or which contain offensive language will not be published

In July 2016, Pope Francis makes an emotional visit to Auschwitz, the former Nazi death camp where more than 1.1 million Jews were executed. In the dark shadows of the Holocaust, the Pope prays for the forgiveness of mankind, and immerses himself in the controversial legacy of his predecessor, Pope Pius XII.